A Fallen Apple
by Almost an Actress
Summary: Sometimes life just isn't fair. What would you do if the life of your best friend was gone in an instant? Sweetie Belle is riveted to staring at a wall, refusing to talk and burning with guilt. What part did she play in the death? Scootaloo retaliates with confusion and anger if anypony tries to console her. Will they ever be able to move on? (Contains Flutterjack.)
1. Denial and Silence

Scootaloo's eyes brimmed with tears. She couldn't belive what she was hearing, and refused to belive it, in fact. "No, it's not possible," she said, her voice husky with tears. "Fillies don't just… die. Old mares and stallions die._ Not_ fillies!"

"Sugar cube, ah know it's hard," Applejack responded, trying to be strong in front of the young pony. "Ah didn't belive it either. Sometimes ya just gotta let go."

"I won't!" Scootaloo half-screamed half-sobbed. "She's not dead! She's not dead!" She ran away as fast as she could, shrugging off anypony who tried to stop her. She repeated the same phrase in head over and over: _She's alive. She's alive. Apple Bloom is alive. Apple Bloom is alive._

When she finally stopped running she was in White Tail Woods. Nopony ever came here. Perfect.

"APPLE BLOOM IS NOT DEAD!" Scootaloo roared.

XXX

Sweetie Bell wasn't dealing with the death of her friend much better. She had stopped talking, and would take to sitting in Rarity's dress shop for hours, despondently staring at the walls, lost in her memories. Everypony was worried, most of all Rarity. She knew how close Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell had been. It would be like her loosing Twilight or Fluttershy or Dash or… any of her friends, really.

Right now, Sweetie was staring at a small black dot on the ceiling, immersed in memories of her friend.

_"Last 'n t' the finish line's a rotten dragon egg!" Apple Bloom bellowed._

_ "In your dreams, girl!" Scootaloo cried with a laugh, and dashed off._

_ Sweetie Bell, as usual, was the rotten dragon egg. She didn't mind, though. As long as she got to be with her two best friends in the entire world, none of it mattered. _

"Sweetie Bell!"

The cry brought Sweetie from her despondent state. She looked behind her to see her sister staring at her. _What?_ she thought. _Can't you just leave me alone? Let me think about her so that I don't lose her._

"Sweetie?"

_WHAT?! _she thought, glaring at her sister.

"Why won't you talk to me? Sweetie, you haven't talked to me for three days now. This isn't healthy. I know that you need to morn, but-"

Sweetie Bell cut out her sister's chatter and thought about why she wouldn't talk. _If I start talking and living like this is normal, I'll forget her. Her little southern drawl, her cherry-red mane, her buttery-fur, her light blue eyes- Oh, no. Oh, no. Her eyes were… red. Wait, no. They were yellow. No, golden. No… were they actually blue? Or fuchsia? Oh, Celestia. I'm already forgetting her. _She began to cry, turning away from Rarity. _I promise, Apple Bloom. I'll never forget you._


	2. Twilight Tries to Lecture

The five ponies sat in Twilight's tree. They were sitting at a round table with a roaring fire next to them. It would've been cozy if not for the somber occasion. Rarity and Pinkie Pie were having trouble not crying, Fluttershy was more sensitive than ever, Rainbow Dash was strangely quiet, and Twilight was sniffing. Finally, she stood up. "Girls, the death of Apple Bloom has rocked our community. More importantly, her own family. That's why we decided it would be best not to invite Applejack to this meeting."

"Thanks for the newsflash, Reporter John," Rainbow Dash snapped. "We all knew this."

"I know," Twilight Sparkle said quietly, looking down. "Some of aren't taking the loss so well. Namely: Scootaloo-" Rainbow Dash winced, "-and Sweetie Bell."

With this, the floodgates opened. Rarity collapsed on the table, her head buried in her hooves. She was sobbing harder than anypony had ever seen her. "It-it-it's true!" she cried through her tears. "She won't talk. Barely eats or sleeps. All she does is stare at that stupid wall with this horrible expression on her face!"

Pinkie Pie began to cry too, because… well, she was Pinkie Pie. She hugged Rarity and they wept together.

Twilight winced, but she continued her speech. "Er… yes. Scootaloo is in a state of denial. If you even mention the words, 'Apple Bloom' and 'dead' in the same sentence, she'll retaliate. Anypony have any ideas on how we can fix this?"

Fluttershy, who had been silent, finally spoke up. "Um… I have an idea. If… that's alright, I mean."

"Speak your mind!" Rainbow thundered. She quieted when she saw the hurt expression on Fluttershy's face. "I hate to see the squirt this way," she mumbled.

"Maybe… maybe each of us could talk to them. One of us will be bound to break through their misery."

"Good idea," Pinkie Pie sniffed.

Twilight nodded. "Well, let's do it. I'll go first. Then you, Fluttershy. Then Pinkie. Then Rarity. Then you, Rainbow Dash."

XXX

Twilight Sparkle decided to try Sweetie Bell first, since she was calmer. She trotted over to Rarity's dress shop and opened the door. A bell tinkled merrily. "Sweetie?" Twilight called.

No response.

Twilight trotted around, looking for the white unicorn filly. Finally, she found her. What she saw horrified her: Sweetie Bell sitting at her butt, staring blankly at a wall. Her expression was the dullest monotone, as if she was a robot or something. Tears were running out of her unblinking eyes.

"Sweetie Bell?" Twilight said hesitantly. She didn't expect a response. "I'm going to do what I do best, which is lecture. I know Apple Bloom was dear to you, but you can't be like this forever."

Sweetie Bell didn't even turn around; she just kept staring at that white wall. She was thinking about Apple Bloom, as usual. She heard Twilight though, and beckoned her to keep talking with a flick of her ears and a slight nod of her head. _Sorry Apple Bloom. Twilight is talking about you, so that technically counts as memories of you_, she thought.

"I've experienced death before," Twilight Sparkle said sadly.

Sweetie Bell actually turned around this time, cocking her head. _You have? _she thought.

"Can I tell you a secret, Sweetie?" Twilight said with a sad smile. "Nopony else in Ponyville knows about it but me. And maybe you, if you'll let me tell it to you."

Even though Sweetie Bell was mourning like an adult, she was still a filly. The idea of a secret that nopony else knew excited her. She gave a nod, her eyes sparkling for a brief moment.

"When I was a filly, I was only interested in my books. My best friend was my brother, Shining Armor. But I had another friend, too. I never told anypony about him, because he lived all alone in the forest at the edge of Canterlot. His name, he said, was Secret Keeper. I thought that was the most interesting and unique name in the world! I was even younger than you at the time, Sweetie. I was seven years old, and Secret Keeper was eight. He had his cutie mark already."

Sweetie Bell winced. _He already had his cutie mark? Even an eight-year-old? _she thought, annoyed.

"It was a very unique cutie mark. It was a heart-shaped lock with a key. They were both golden with silver wisps around them. As I said, very unique. One day, I waited for him at the edge of the forest, ready for another day of hours of playing. We always met at the edge of the forest. I waited and waited and waited. I had an internal clock, you see. I knew that I had waited about an hour when I got worried. I ventured into the forest and called his name. 'Secret! Secret Keeper!' I cried, getting sick with worry. That's when I saw him." Twilight Sparkle paused here, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to gulp down a sob. "He was under a boulder. I only saw his head. The rest of him was… was… crushed. My magic wasn't strong enough to lift the boulder. I sat with him and sobbed. He was alive, though, but barley. He said, 'Hi Twily. Can we play now?' And I said, 'Secret… you're dying, aren't you?' And smiled, then. 'Don't go for help, Twily. My parents aren't home. See… they're dead. They died in a train wreck a long time ago. Now I get to see them. Isn't that nice, Twily?' And with that, he died." The purple unicorn stopped speaking and sobbed.

Sweetie Bell sobbed too. _That wasn't about Apple Bloom_, she thought.

"See, Sweetie? I know what death feels like. I never thought I would recover. I never told anypony, and cried myself to sleep for three years after that."

Sweetie Bell slowly turned back to the wall, signifying she was done with the one-sided conversation.

Twilight sighed deeply, knowing she could do nothing more. She had seemed to break past Sweetie's sorrow for a moment, there, she knew. _Maybe the others will chip away at it until she's talking again_, the purple unicorn thought as the turned to walk out of the shop. "Well, Sweetie, I liked talking to you. I can never find such a good listener. See you later." With that, Twilight walked out of the shop.

Sweetie gave a tentative smile. In all her mourning, a complement was the sweetest Band-Aid she could have.

Twilight was outside of the shop, trotting down the streets. "Scootaloo!" she cried. "Scootaloo! I need to talk to you!"

Scootaloo was actually on a cloud above the lavender intellectual, glaring daggers at her. "I don't need your help," he muttered. "You're just gonna lecture me about the fact that Apple Bloom is… is… not around." She turned to the empty air beside her, imagining Apple Bloom sitting on the cloud next to her. She knew it was silly; Earth ponies couldn't be on clouds without a unicorn's spell. It still made her feel better, though. _Apple Bloom, I know you're still alive_, she thought at the figment of her imagination. _You're just gone for a little while. That's all. _

Twilight's sensitive ears pricked up. She had heard Scootaloo muttering angrily, something about not needing her help. She used her magic to levitate herself up to Scootaloo's cloud and settled softly beside her, quickly casting a spell so that she could sit on the cloud without falling through. "Scootaloo?" she asked quietly.

"No!" Scootaloo cried. "You're just here to tell me that Apple Bloom is… not here! But she's alive! I know it!" The young filly buzzed into the air and began to speed away, but Twilight gently caught her in midair with her magic. She levitated the pony so that they were eye to eye. "You live in the town orphanage, don't you?" she asked.

"Yeah," Scootaloo snapped. "So what? Come to remind me of things I'd rather not remember?!"

"Maybe," Twilight said gently. "Sit with me, Scootaloo."

"No!"

"Okay, then." Twilight didn't get mad as Scootaloo had hoped. She just continued levitating her in the air. It was sort of embarrassing.

"Alright, alright," Scootaloo muttered. "You're embarrassing me, Sparkle."

Twilight levitated the steaming Pegasus filly on to the cloud next to her. "I can't trust you not to run away, so I'm using my magic to keep you in this one spot."

"Thanks for the narration, captain obvious," Scootaloo said sarcastically.

Twilight took a deep breath, knowing she couldn't bear to tell another pony about Secret Keeper. Luckily, she knew that Scootaloo would just lash out anyway. She took another breath, preparing for her lecture. "Scootaloo, you have been in a state of denial since the… passing of Apple Bloom. If not denial, cheek, spite, or cruel words. You retaliate. You need to know that this is normal behavior when a loved one… passes away. But you can't behave like this forever. You have to come to terms with the fact that Apple Bloom is dead."

"SHUT UP!" Scootaloo shrieked. "SHUT UP, TWILIGHT!" Inside the bubble of mauve magic, she covered her ears with her hooves. "I don't care what you say, Sparkle. She's alive. She's alive. She's alive."

Twilight sighed, gently releasing the muttering filly on to the cloud. "Okay," was all she muttered.


	3. The Lament of the Shy

_**So sorry for not updating for so long! I've been busy. I'll update every Sunday from now on, I Pinkie Promise. And I intend to keep that, because NOPONY breaks a Pinkie Promise. {O.o}**_

_** - Novi**_

__Fluttershy sat in her cottage, hiding beneath a quilt Granny Shy had made before she was born. An inpatient thumping came from outside her quilted world, and she peeked out of the blanket for a millisecond, and then buried her face in the lemon-smelling blanket again. "I'm sorry Angel Bunny," Fluttershy said softly, "but I just can't come out."

The white rabbit wiggled his little fingers, got a hold on the edge of the blanket, and tugged it off his terrified owner. His shiny black eyes glinted with frustration. He glared at his owner.

"Now Angel Bunny, that wasn't very nice," she said. "You startled me very much."

Angel gave her a look that said, _I couldn't care less. _

"Angel, honey, I can't come out of this blanket because I'm so scared," Fluttershy whimpered. "I've got a big predicament on my hooves. I have to talk to Sweetie Belle, who won't talk to anypony, and Scootaloo, who's being so _mean_! I have to counsel them, like a… a… counselor!" she finished lamely.

Angel Bunny gave her another one of his famous looks. This one seemed to say, _Who cares? Other ponies have bigger problems than you. Go do it!_

Fluttershy gulped, and stood up, making a fist. (As best she could.) "You're right, Angel Bunny. It's not fair of me to be hiding like a coward while other ponies are suffering! I feel so sad for all them, but Applejack the most. I'll do this for her!" She thought of her grieving friend and blushed. Though she'd never told anypony, she'd always been in love with Applejack, from the minute they'd met when they were fillies. When those emerald eyes fell on her, she melted. But she could never say that. At least, by trying to help her sister's friends, she could help AJ.

XXX

"Sweetie Belle?"

Silence.

"Please talk to me."

Silence.

"Did… did I do something wrong?"

Silence.

"Oh.. okay then. I'm sorry, Sweetie."

XXX

"Scootaloo?"

"NO."

"Oh.. bye, then."

XXX

Fluttershy sat under her blanket, crying. She knew she'd failed.


	4. Oh, Pinkie Stop Getting Amnesia

**Hey everypony! I'm sick! Ugh… I might not update as often because of my ailment, but I'll be fine! :D**

**- Novi**

XXX

Pinkie Pie hopped down the street, giggling at a joke she'd just heard. It went like this: "A stallion walks into a bar. What does he say? OUCH!" Pinkie chuckled, and steeled herself as she bounced into Carousel Boutique. "Sweetie Belle!" she trilled.

Silence, of course.

But Pinkie, who hated silence, had anticipated this. Seemingly from out of nowhere, she pulled out her party cannon, stuffed herself inside, and realized she had no way to pull the trigger. She had planned to shoot out in a blast of confetti and cake, crashing into Sweetie Belle and making her instantly happy, but no she was stuck. And being stuck was no fun! It reminded her too much of her childhood, before the Sonic Rainboom that repaired her family bonds. She remembered being locked in the dark closet so many times, for failing at every little thing. The closet had been tiny, and she always hated that punishment. But her rigid, religious father had insisted that "disobedient young ladies were to be punished." Pinkie felt tears coming, and struggled to escape from the cannon. She hated anything that reminded her of her childhood, and began sobbing.

Sweetie Belle ran over to the party cannon, her dulled eyes widening at the spectacle in front of her. "Er…" she stammered, her voice sounding ragged and harsh from not talking for days. She clapped her hooves over her mouth and backed away, afraid.

"Don't leave me!" Pinkie Pie sobbed. "Daddy's gonna lock me in the closet if he sees me like this!" Her usually bright sky-blue eyes were watery and scared.

Not knowing what to do, Sweetie Belle edged forward. She walked around to the back of the cannon and pulled the trigger, which sent a sobbing Pinkie Pie flying into a rack of sparkly dresses. Sweetie gasped and ran foreword, trying spot a glint of Pink in the sea of blue fabric. Finally finding a pink hoof, Sweetie grasped it and pulled Pinkie out of the dresses.

"Thanks, filly!" Pinkie grinned, her tears gone. "That was fun! We should play more often! I came here for something, but I forget what it was." She ruffled Sweetie's mane. "Well, see you round Belle!"

Sweetie just gaped.

XXX

Pinkie Pie wandered the streets of Ponyville aimlessly. She had come to do a few things, but forgot what. She shrugged, and decided to stop by Sugar Cube Corner for a fizzy soda. She ran into Scootaloo on her way there – literally. "Watch where you're going, silly filly!" Pinkie beamed.

Scootaloo looked like she had been… crying. "Well?" Scoots asked expectantly. "Aren't you here to yell at me?"

"For what, silly filly?" Pinkie giggled. "Don't expect everypony to be mean to you, girlie!" Giggling, she waved goodbye and trotted away, leaving a_ very_ confused Scootaloo.


	5. Rarity's Sorrow

**Sorry I missed this last Sunday update, everypony! I know I Pinkie Promised, and I'll probably get made into blonde cupcakes, but here it is. Rarity is my least favorite pony, so sorry if I demean her in any way. In compensation for my lateness, I'll write an extra long chapter. Enjoy!**

**-Novi**

**XXX**

Rarity inhaled a deep breath through her nose and looked at her unmade-up face in the mirror. She closed her eyes as she slathered her eyelashes in mascara. She gently brushed some purple eye shadow over her lids. She spread a dainty black line of eyeliner, pursed her lips for the application of blood red lipstick, and threw a bit of sparkly rouge on her cheeks. She curled her already-curly mane and tail, brushed them out again, and then curled them again. "A lady needs to look her best for a confrontation," she assured her reflection in the mirror. Looking longingly at a shimmering pink dress she was working on for a client, she trotted down the steps and into her dress shop. She found Sweetie Belle, as usual, at the back of the shop staring at that wretched white wall. "Hello, Sweetie Belle," Rarity said with a nervous smile.

_What do you want?_ Sweetie Belle thought accusingly, not turning around. She did, however, pick up a small hoof and wipe her eyes, blink them, and go back to her staring.

"Sweetie Belle, I've come to talk to you," Rarity said matter-of-factly. "About Apple Bloom."

_Not you too, _Sweetie Belle moaned in her head. _Anypony but you! First it was Miss Know It All Twilight, then shy old Fluttershy, and then Miss Nutso Pinkie Pie. _Why didn't she want Rarity talking to her, you ask? Well, her resolve to not talk was melting. First with Twilight's touching secret about her fillyhood best friend, Fluttershy's anxiety at being to one to make Sweetie sad, and then Pinkie Pie's shocking emotional display… and amnesia. She didn't know if she could handle not talking anymore. Staring at the wall was getting boring, and her eyes frequently blurred.

"I know that I am well known for my… well, dramatics," Rarity continued. "They can only be expected of a fine, upstanding lady."

Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow, turning around. _Which one of us is this lecture about? Just like you, Rarity, to make the entire thing about you. Because the world revolves around you, right? _Sweetie Belle thought.

"Er…" Rarity stammered, seeing she was losing Sweetie Belle, "and… and… you are the baby sister of aforementioned fine, upstanding lady. And, I, as this lady in question, must ensure your personal, emotional, physical, ect., well being is sound. This… this… _staring_, is completely: unhealthy, unsatisfactory, and uncouth."

Oh, Celestia. That was the last straw. Sweetie Belle jumped up and opened her mouth, bellowing out, "OH MY FREAKING CELESTIA, RARITY! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO MAKE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU, ABOUT YOUR LITTLE "LADYLIKE IMPORTANCE?" WHAT THE HAY IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" Her voice did not come out rusty and cracked, as it had yesterday. It came out strong and full of power. And anger. "JUST STOP TRYING TO MAKE ME HAPPY, OKAY?! JUST STOP, RARITY! IT'LL NEVER WORK! JUST LOOK AT YOU! YOU PUT ON FREAKING MAKE-UP BEFORE YOU COULD EVEN THINK OF TALKING TO ME! I BET YOU CURLED YOUR MANE AND TAIL, TOO! GET AWAY FROM ME! JUST GO!" Tears were pouring out of Sweetie's eyes, making them feel freshened and new, not dry and empty as her tears had felt for the last few days.

Tears poured out of Rarity's eyes too, as she ran from her dress shop. Her mascara came in inky tears down her face, and her light purple eye shadow and blood-red lipstick were smeared as she frequently tried to wipe to her eyes. She ran down alleys so as not to be seen, dirtying her hooves and tail. Finally, she collapsed outside the Ponyville Home for Orphaned Fillies and Colts and sobbed into her hooves. A little while later, Rarity heard a soft buzzing of wings and felt tender young hooves sorting through her ruined mane. "You ruined your mane and tail, Rarity," a soft, slightly husky, voice gently scolded. "C'mon in to my room. I bet you're worried that somepony will see you like this, huh?"

"Y-yes," Rarity sniffled, not looking up to see who the kind filly helping her was.

"Then let's go. Recess is almost starting, and unless you want to see fifty foals laughing at you, I'd come along."

Rarity didn't look as the mystery filly led her inside a bland brick building and into a room, then into a bathroom. Finally, she opened her eyes and was shocked to see her terrible reflection in a mirror. "Oh," she moaned dramatically. "I look _awful!_"

"Yep," Mystery Filly agreed. "Ya do." Still not letting herself be seen, the filly took Rarity's hoof and led her over to a small bathtub. "I'm gonna fill this up. You wait here," she instructed.

Rarity looked into the tub as it filled slowly, dipping a hoof into the warm water and stirring it around. Who was this kind filly? she wondered. _I've made such a mess of things, _she thought. _Why must I make everything about me? _

Mystery Filly flew back into the room behind Rarity. "Get into the tub," she said, helping Rarity into the small bathtub. "We're gonna wash off this useless makeup, fix your mane and tail, and then we're gonna talk."

"Okay," Rarity sniffed. She let the small hooves pour water over her face, washing off all of her smeared makeup and staining the water in the bathtub black. Her mane and tail were washed next. The bath was the most soothing thing she'd felt in a while.

XXX

Finally, Rarity sat on Mystery Filly's bed wrapped in a big fuzzy towel, with a steaming cup of coffee in her hooves. She preferred lattes, but this would do. She sipped the warm, dark liquid and grimaced. It tasted like sewer water! Mystery Filly sat next to her, shrouded from her vision by the towel. She was clutching a cup of coffee in her hooves as well. Rarity could hear her slurping, and had just surmised that she was having the aforementioned coffee. "Thank you," she finally said. It was said in a very quiet voice, and she hoped Mystery Filly had heard her.

"Sure," Mystery Filly responded. "Any time. Now, about that talk…"

"Er… of course," Rarity muttered, wondering what it was Mystery Filly wanted to talk to her about. Probably her disgraceful appearance in the orphanage yard. Celestia, she wished she could take that back.

"I'm gonna ask that you stay wrapped in that towel. If you saw me, you'd probably freak."

Mystery Filly's voice was beginning to sound _very_ familiar, but Rarity couldn't quite put her hoof on it. "Okay," she responded, pulling the towel closer around her face.

"Alright. Um… why were you in the yard like that?"

"Er…" Rarity stammered. "You get to the point, now don't you?"

"Answer me," Mystery Filly answered flatly.

"I… I had a bit of a… falling out with my younger sister," Rarity murmured.

"Really? 'A bit of'? Doesn't seem like it to me. You were sobbing and you looked like you'd just run through a mud puddle party."

Rarity laughed a bit, and then bit her hoof, wondering how to go on. "Well, one of my sister's dearest friends passed away recently. She's taken to staring at the wall with this horrible blank expression on her face, just silently weeping. She won't talk at all. It's… disturbing, to say the least."

"And?" Mystery Filly prompted, sounding as if her curiosity had peaked.

"Ah, my friends and I had a meeting. We wanted her to stop this senseless staring. She couldn't just… move on, it seems. She has another friend, a filly much like her idol, Rainbow Dash. She's been extremely aggressive if you mention the passing. She refuses to belive, I suppose. We were all going to take turns talking to them, and today it was my turn to talk to my sister."

"Yeah?"

"Well, I got ready. A lady must look her best, you see. It took me a long time, and I primped and preened so much I might've gotten a bit… carried away. I forgot I was going to console my younger sister. All I could focus on was looking my best. I went down the stairs."

"Uh-huh?"

"And… I tired talking to her. I might've… made the conversation the teeniest, tiniest bit shallow. She talked, though. For the first time in a week. It was amazing. But… she was yelling. Screaming at me. She said some… horrible things. And…" Rarity trailed off, lifting a dainty hoof to wipe her eyes and sniff.

"And?"

"I just worry that… what she said was true." With that, Rarity began to sob again. Mystery Filly removed Rarity's towel-shroud and hugged her. Rarity opened her eyes and gasped, choking on her tears.

_It was Scootaloo! _


	6. You Love Me?

Applejack lay in her bed in a tangle of cold sheets and blankets. She was whimpering and crying. And dreaming….

_"Applejack! Applejack! Why couldn't y'all save me?" the filly cried. Her yellow pelt was marred with horrible lacerations and bruises. She was gushing blood from every pore in her body. Eyes, nose, mouth…. _

_ "Ah… ah'm sorry!" Applejack sobbed. "Please Apple Bloom. Please forgive me!"_

_ Apple Bloom jilted forwards, her bleeding eyes looking mournful. "Ah can't."_

XXX

Applejack awoke with a piercing scream. She looked around wildly, hoping to catch a glimpse of her sister. Instead, her wet eyes caught the soft blue of another pair of eyes. "Who's there?" the Southern pony stammered.

"M-me, Applejack," a soft, timid voice said. "Big Macintosh let me in. He said it would be nice for you to see somepony. It's the middle of the afternoon, you know. But… I can just leave, if you want."

"Naw, it'd be nice to have y'all here," Applejack sighed.

"Did… did you have a nightmare?" Fluttershy asked softly. "You screamed. It startled me very much."

Applejack nodded. "Ah don't wanna talk about it," she muttered. "Ah've been havin' too many nightmares, lately."

"It must be very hard to lose a loved pony," Fluttershy said kindly. She flew over to Applejack's bed and began combing through her mane with her hooves. "I understand how you feel."

"You do?" Applejack asked, stunned.

"I do," Fluttershy confirmed. "Not a pony, per se, but I've lost many animals."

Applejack turned around. "That ain't even close!" she cried, tears falling down her cheeks. "That ain't close at all! Ah thought y'all understood! Ah thought y'all would help me through it! It's bad enough ah love you, but now-" She stopped, clapping her hooves over her mouth.

"You… you love me?" Fluttershy stammered, her cheeks darkening.

Applejack offered a meek nod.

Fluttershy said the only word she could think to say. "Yay."


	7. A Letter from Sweetie Belle to Dashie

_Nothing will ever be the same. They all told me I would move on. But how long has it been? A week? Only a week? It sometimes feels like it's been a day, and sometimes it feels like it's been a year. I don't get it. I'm so confused. She told me before she died that she loved me. She told me I was the best friend a filly could ask for. _

_ How did she die? _

_ That's what everypony wants to know. They don't say it, but when they try to comfort me, I can see it in their eyes. Burning in the eyes of Applejack and Pinkie Pie. Tentatively coming to the surface in Fluttershy's big blue orbs. Twilight Sparkle is more practiced in keeping her curiosity out of her eyes. She knows that I can see it, though. She knew it the minute she began telling me about Secret Keeper._

_ But as good as she is, I saw the curiosity in her eyes. Only once. Just as she was leaving, I saw it spark in her eyes. Like a mini firework, her eyes implore, "Tell me. Tell me. Tell me how the filly you love so much died."_

_ And that's why I turned away from her. _

_ How could I expect Twilight to understand? _

_ I just thought… since she was probably the smartet of those six mares, she'd be the most empathetic. I knew Fluttershy would be too meek to understand. If I told her, she'd explode. She'd go tell everypony from here to San Anponio. Pinkie Pie would freak out. Maybe start sobbing or make me into cupcakes or something. _**(Reference joke.)**___Rarity. And then there's her. My own sister wouldn't understand. All she cares about are her clients and her stupid old dresses. No matter how much I try to help, she just turns me away. Says I make a bigger mess than I clean up. Says I ruin everything I touch._

_ Well, for once Rarity was right._

_ You wanna know how she died, Rainbow Dash? That's right. I know you're coming to try and comfort me next. I'm just gonna hand you this letter and then run. I'm gonna have a backpack ready. Some saddlebags. And I'm gonna run far, far away. I'm gonna forget this stupid town ever even existed. I'm gonna forget Scootaloo, who I know I'm going to miss the most. I'm gonna forget about Rarity, and how I know she wishes I wasn't her sister. Or at least that she didn't have to deal with me. I'm gonna forget Mother and Father, and how they praise me even when I'm horrible. Fake praise. I'm gonna forget Fluttershy and how she's always so worrisome. How everything I do around her has to be quiet. I'm gonna forget Pinkie Pie and her random bouts of emotion. I'm gonna forget Twilight Sparkle, who probably had the biggest impact on me. _

_ I'm gonna forget Applejack. If I live near her, I'll always be guilty. Ditto with the rest of her stupid family!_

_ And you know what? I'm gonna forget Apple Bloom. She'll be erased from my mind. I already planned it out. If I write this out, I'll forget her._

_ So here's how she died:_

_ We were down by the river, just the two of us. Scootaloo's orphanage pals were on a field trip to Manehattan, so it was just Apple Bloom and I for the day. We were sitting on some warm rocks, sunning our fur. It was one of those perfect days, you know? The sun was shining, the grass was glowing green, the birds were singing, and the river was the clearest crystal-blue. _

_ "Hey," I suggested, bored by just sitting there. "Maybe we should go swimming in the deeper part."_

_ Apple Bloom nodded and stretched her front legs. She giggled and proposed a race. Before I could answer, she was galloping off over the sandy river bank. I knew that the bottom of Apple Bloom's hooves were like leather because of her work on the farm, but I live with Rarity most of the time, who prizes her stupid carpeted floors. _

_ So I was slipping and stumbling on the sand, and I lost the race. Apple Bloom got there way before me, and had already jumped in. What she didn't know was that creeks shift. We hadn't come to this spot since last year, and where there was once a deep swimming hole there was now a gigantic, jagged boulder. _

_ She landed on that boulder headfirst._

_ And all I could do was watch as my best friend sank slowly beneath the surface._

_ I swear to Celestia, I thought she would come back up. Maybe complaining about her head, and then we'd go home, get it patched up, get a bit of a scolding, and then go play some more. I waited for five minutes, staring at the water with the biggest smile on my face. _

_ But she didn't come back up. _

_ And the birds kept singing, and the sun kept shining, and the grass kept glowing, and the water was still crystal blue. _

_ There were only two things that were out of place._

_ The little filly lying unconscious at the bottom of the stream, slowly drowning, and the other little filly running away, screaming a silent howl of agony._

_XXX_

_ So there you have it, Rainbow Dash. That's how Apple Bloom died. At age twelve. And it was all my fault. _

_- Sweetie Belle_


	8. Dashie's Part-Way Success

**Hey everypony! Thanksgiving Break ends tomorrow! Whaaaaaaa! Back to school, and all the people that annoy me. :/ Just wondering… do you read my author's notes? Tell me in the reviews. Rainbow Dash is the hero of this chapter! And no, the story is NOT OVER! But it's close! ;) **

**-Novi**

**XXX**

Ponyville's resident self-proclaimed speed demon cruised in the clouds, looking for a certain orange filly. She knew this filly practically worshiped her, but talking to the little one wasn't going to be easy. "Scootaloo!" she cried into the sea of puffy whiteness surrounding her. "Squirt! Kidlet!" It seemed as if the downy clouds were packing in tighter around Rainbow as she searched, making it harder to move. Suddenly, she realized that somepony was pushing the clouds purposefully closer, to trap her.

And Dashie had a pretty good idea who was doing it.

She ramped up the rate at which her wings were flapping, keeping her body in one place. Her wings blew away the clouds to reveal a guilty-eyed filly with a tiny piece of cloud stuck to her muzzle. "Rainbow Dash?" the filly stammered out.

"Scootaloo," Rainbow Dash said quietly. "Why?"

Scootaloo's eyes brimmed with many an unshed tear. "Everypony keeps trying to comfort me," she said with a sniffle. "They don't know how I feel. They don't know how it feels to lose your best friend and not even know how she died!"

Rainbow Dash was not good at hugging. Or consoling. Or counseling. Or cajoling. Or comforting. She was good at what she knew: being sarcastic and snarky, being rather narcissistic, daredevil stunts, flying at breakneck speeds, Sonic Rainbooms, being brave, and above all: being loyal. She could out-loyal any horse, pony, cow, pig, sheep, cat, dog, or giant mythical beast in all of Equestria if it came down to it.

But making Scootaloo feel better? She was gonna have to wing this one.

"We may know how you feel," Rainbow Dash said quietly. "C'mere, Squirt." She pulled a cloud over and sat down on it, patting the space beside her. Scoots reluctantly flew in beside her, and Rainbow wrapped a wing around her. "In fact, most of us know how you feel."

"Prove it!" Scootaloo sneered.

"Alright," Rainbow answered plainly. "When Pinkie Pie was a young filly, her father would lock her in the closet if she was bad. The same with her sisters, Inkie and Blinkie Pie. Blinkie, or Blinkamina, was the oldest. She took care of them. The youngest was Inkie, or Octavia. Pinkie Pie was the middle child. My Sonic Rainboom repaired their family bonds… at least for a little while. Pretty soon their father got back to being his mean old self. When Blinkie was fourteen years old she took Pinkie, now twelve, and Octavia, or Inkie, now ten, far away to their Granny Pie's house. They lived there until they were old enough to move out. Blinkie was the first to go. She went to live in Manehattan, far away from anything farmlike. Then went Pinkie to Ponyville. She wanted to go to a place where everypony would be her friend. And finally Octavia, or Inkie. Little Inkie is now in Canterlot, performing as a champion cellist."

Scootaloo's eyes were big. "Wait… _that_ Octavia is related to _Pinkie_?! They're _sisters_?!"

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah. The Pie sisters' parents died soon after they all had careers and lives of their own. And the saddest part? Not a single Pie sister showed up at the funerals."

Scootaloo gaped. "That's horrible!" the little filly cried. "Their parents may've been mean when they were little, but still!"

"Pinkie Pie knows loss," Rainbow said quietly.

"Do… do the others?"

Rainbow nodded, and began to tell the tales of Fluttershy's animals and how often they died, Rarity's sorrow over Sweetie Belle's muteness, Twilight Sparkle's friend Secret Keeper, who she had told Rainbow Dash about only yesterday, Applejack's sorrow over her sister's death, and so on.

"So… everypony has experienced death?" Scootaloo asked.

Rainbow nodded. "It's not just you. You have every right to be mad, but not at us. You're not the only one who's sad about Apple Bloom."

At that moment, Scootaloo felt something inside her click. Apple Bloom was dead. Not gone on a trip for a while. Not playing hide and seek. Not grounded and stuck inside. Dead. Dead and gone forever. "She's dead," Scootaloo whispered quietly. "She's not coming back… is she?"

Rainbow Dash shook her head and hugged the little filly as she sobbed.

XXX

Rainbow Dash was feeling pretty good about herself. She had fixed Scootaloo, once and for all. Before, if you mentioned the words 'Apple Bloom' and 'Dead' in the same sentence, Scootaloo would've practically attacked you. Now, though, she had even gotten the orange filly to say it herself.

If only she knew what Sweetie Belle had done.

She went into Carousel Boutique, sighing. "Sweetie Belle!" the husky-voiced mare cried. "I'm gonna talk to you! I'm the last one, I promise!" The last comment had the mare chuckling.

Sweetie Belle materialized in front of her with two saddlebags and a backpack. "Hi," she said quietly, and handed Rainbow Dash a letter. With that, she took off running.

"Sweetie!" Rainbow Dash cried, but her eyes drifted to the letter. What it said made her want to break down and cry.

But she could cry later.

She had to find Rarity.


	9. Coming to Terms: A Bittersweet End

Fluttershy and Applejack stood staring at the hole in the ground. It was about four feet long and six feet deep. There was a small, beautiful black coffin in it. The coffin was covered in plump apples that had been thrown in an old Apple Family tradition.

Big Macintosh had a front leg wrapped around Granny Smith, who was sobbing for all she was worth. Scootaloo sat on the big red pony's back with her forelegs wrapped around his neck, weeping. In the next row of mourners stood Rainbow Dash, who was crying gently, cradling a sobbing Pinkie Pie. Twilight Sparkle was crying by herself.

And Rarity?

Rarity was mourning for a different reason. Of course she was sad about Apple Bloom. The filly had been spunky and kind, if not a big messy and destructive. She didn't deserve to die. But Rarity was mourning for the loss of her thirteen-year-old sister. Sweetie Belle was still alive and well, all body parts intact. But she had ridden a train far away somewhere, never to return to Ponyville. That much was obvious. She had left a second letter to Rarity and Rarity alone. In the letter there was apology upon apology; along with the promise that while Scootaloo would never return to Ponyville, Rarity could come visit her sometime.

Not that Rarity knew where she was.

The preacher finished his words about lambs and Celestia and heaven and ushered the family away so that the gravedigger could fill in the hole.

Rarity sighed and wiped her eyes with an expensive kerchief. She trotted off alone and hung her head. "I suppose I must come to terms with this," she murmured to herself. "Sweetie Belle is gone. She'll give me the address of where she is when she's good and ready. I must accept that this is partly my fault." _I just don't want you to feel guilty_, she thought. _It wasn't your fault. _

_XXX_

In a different part of the cemetery, two mares stood at the grave of somepony named Apple Seed. The inscription on the grave read "_Apple Seed. May 1__st__ – July 1__st__. Though you passed on soon, you will always be in our hearts." _

"That's very sad," Fluttershy said softly. "Little Apple Seed was only three months old."

Applejack nodded. "That little filly was a relative 'a mine. Ah 'member when she died. Ah was only five, though, so ah don't 'member much. Just a lotta cryin' folks."

"I'm sorry," Fluttershy apologized quietly.

"It's fine, sugar cube," Applejack sighed. "Ah'm just gonna miss 'er."

Fluttershy knew Applejack wasn't talking about Apple Seed. She was talking about Apple Bloom. "I'm sorry," Fluttershy repeated meekly. "I'm sure you hear that a lot. I really do mean it, though."

Applejack looked into the big blue eyes of her friend. "Ah know ya do, darlin'. That's why ah love ya." She hugged the mare close.

_XXX_

In the next part of the cemetery, Big Macintosh left Granny Smith to her own devices and lifted Scootaloo gently off of his back. "She was yer best friend." It wasn't a question the way he said it. It was more of a statement.

Scootaloo nodded.

"Mah family just lost a filly," Big Macintosh went on, "and yer family doesn't exist. Ah'd like to per-pose a deal with ya."

Scootaloo looked up with hopeful eyes.

"How'd ya like to have me fer a big brother? Ah mean… how'd ya like fer our family t' adopt you?"

Scootaloo nodded and hugged her new big brother.

_XXX_

And in a grand city called Canterlot, in the castle of a Princess called Celestia, a filly called Sweetie Belle sat on a large bed. Celestia had agreed to let her stay in the castle for one year; if in that time she was ready to go back, she could. But Sweetie knew she would never return to Ponyville.

And that was just the way it would have to be.

_XXX_

**Epilogue: **Applejack and Fluttershy stayed together until the end of their days. Fluttershy eventually moved into the Apple Family's house, using the barn as residence for all of her animals. She and Applejack treated Scootaloo like a daughter, which Scootaloo liked fine.

Big Macintosh stayed working at the Apple Family's farm until he was old and his pelt has turned gray. After Granny Smith died, he had a large statue of the mare made right in the middle of the apple orchard. He never forgot his little sister, but eventually moved on.

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie and Twilight became an inseparable threesome as Rarity drifted away and Fluttershy and Applejack spent most of their time together. The three friends eventually spit off from Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack completely, becoming nicknamed "The Troublesome Threesome."

Rarity became depressed for many months, but hid it well. She eventually moved away from Ponyville and moved into the Canterlot Castle, starting an award-winning fashion line called _Where has the Sweet Gone? _Nopony ever got the title, but it was close to Rarity's heart. She eventually married Fancypants.

And Sweetie Belle? She stayed her year in the Canterlot Castle, and then moved to Doge Junction, working in the cherry factory for a now-aged Ms. Cherry Jubilee. She only kept that job for a year because she didn't find it fun. She then moved to Manehattan for five years, living a happy existence. Now aged twenty, she traveled back to Canterlot for a year, and then visited Appaloosa and Baltimare over the course of another two years. She eventually married a young colt from Trottingham named Jack. She never went back to Ponyville, and she never saw her sister again, but the small town always stayed in her bittersweet heart.

_**The End. **_


End file.
